First, let me tell you a little secret... You don't need to have a degree in Graphics Design to design great graphics for HDTV. Heck, you don't even need to be an artist, designer or know that much about Photoshop. You do need to know a few of the rules though and that's where this blog comes in handy.
I've been designing graphics for tv and video production for years, and I don't have any formal training or a degree in Graphic Arts. I did take the time to learn Photoshop, though I am no master at it. However I do seem to have an eye for photography, video and graphics layout. All of which can be taught to just about anyone that wants to learn.
So, what do you need in order to get started? Well, I'd highly recommend that your church (or you) purchase Photoshop (or something similar). I still use Photoshop - CS4 to this day because I'm just so familiar with it. You'll also want to install the software on either a laptop or desktop that has a fair amount of ram (at least 8 to 16 gigs) and has a decent processor like an Intel i5 or i7. Yes, you could get away with using less ram and a smaller processor, but you'll also spend more time getting upset because things are so slow. You'll also need an HDTV monitor that can display the graphics in the resolutions you'll be working in. So if you're designing graphics for 1920x1080, you'll need to make sure you have an HDMI output from the computer that you can hook up to an HDTV. And while we're on the topic of the computer, you'll need to make sure its video output can handle the resolution you're working in.
What do I use? I have a custom built computer that I designed and built. They're cheaper this way than going out and buying a power house already built with someone else's idea of what a computer should be and then there's all the software that gets installed that you'll never use and don't want. If you're not up to that sort of a task, then there are plenty of great deals out there that you can get. You'll just need to delete all the crap they install so you'll have a decent running system. The system I designed has an i7 6700 Processor with 32 gigs of RAM on a Gigabyte GA-Z170X Motherboard running Windows 10 Pro. There's a ton of other things installed on this beast, but I don't need to go into all of it right now. The point is, you need something decent to work on or you'll soon get frustrated and quit.
I've been designing graphics for tv and video production for years, and I don't have any formal training or a degree in Graphic Arts. I did take the time to learn Photoshop, though I am no master at it. However I do seem to have an eye for photography, video and graphics layout. All of which can be taught to just about anyone that wants to learn.
So, what do you need in order to get started? Well, I'd highly recommend that your church (or you) purchase Photoshop (or something similar). I still use Photoshop - CS4 to this day because I'm just so familiar with it. You'll also want to install the software on either a laptop or desktop that has a fair amount of ram (at least 8 to 16 gigs) and has a decent processor like an Intel i5 or i7. Yes, you could get away with using less ram and a smaller processor, but you'll also spend more time getting upset because things are so slow. You'll also need an HDTV monitor that can display the graphics in the resolutions you'll be working in. So if you're designing graphics for 1920x1080, you'll need to make sure you have an HDMI output from the computer that you can hook up to an HDTV. And while we're on the topic of the computer, you'll need to make sure its video output can handle the resolution you're working in.
What do I use? I have a custom built computer that I designed and built. They're cheaper this way than going out and buying a power house already built with someone else's idea of what a computer should be and then there's all the software that gets installed that you'll never use and don't want. If you're not up to that sort of a task, then there are plenty of great deals out there that you can get. You'll just need to delete all the crap they install so you'll have a decent running system. The system I designed has an i7 6700 Processor with 32 gigs of RAM on a Gigabyte GA-Z170X Motherboard running Windows 10 Pro. There's a ton of other things installed on this beast, but I don't need to go into all of it right now. The point is, you need something decent to work on or you'll soon get frustrated and quit.